Автор: sergey

Silvermoon didnt raise any objections to his words. Then, Han Li closed his eyes and continued to sit in silence.

A while later, Han Li let out a yelp and shock appeared on his face. This time, Silvermoon tactfully remained silent as Han Li tightly frowned before having sudden changes of expression.

Senior Soul Divergence, if I remembered correctly, you said there were many techniques to dissolve my baleful Qi. Is it true that most of these techniques are Buddhist?

That is true, Monarch Soul Divergence lazily replied, Confucians and Daoists also have many of their own techniques to dissolve baleful Qi, but none are as effective as Buddhist techniques.

As Han Lis expression wavered, he said, Then is it true that the most obvious property of Buddhist techniques is that a majority of them release a seven-colored light when they are activated?

That is right. Why? Have you discovered something? Monarch Soul Divergence asked with a curious tone.

Han Li lowered his head and muttered, In that case, this person might be useful. This could be an opportunity.

Monarch Soul Divergence grew somewhat annoyed that Han Li wouldnt answer his question. Just as he thought to ask more about it, Han Li resolved himself and set forth, riding a magic tool out of his cave in an azure streak.

This action came as a surprise to Silvermoon and Monarch Soul Divergence. But after seeing Han Li act with such haste, they could only save their questions for later.

Han Li quickly arrived at a small forest rarely seen in the Endless Sky Plains. It spanned about half a kilometer and was made of sparse and short trees. At the center of the forest, there was a patch of empty land that spanned about thirty meters wide where the two previous cultivators resided.

The blue-robed cultivator was lying facedown on the ground. He was motionless and had a black bloodstain on his back. While it was unknown whether he was still alive, a gorgeous seven-colored light covered his body. There was also other person nearby, a purple-robed old man with eagle-shaped eyes. He was striking at the light barrier with a fire-red flying sword.

Although the seven-colored light barrier was unordinary, it had already begun to wildly shake and flash with light as it had no master controlling it.

Han Li didnt conceal his sudden approach, alerting the purple-robed old man below.

In the old mans shock, he swept his spiritual sense past Han Li and relaxed after finding that he was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The old man then surged with killing intent and raised his hand, launching a remarkable fast black streak at Han Li. It was a tri-pointed stake wrapped in black Qi.

Han Li coldly snorted and stroked the top of his head. Then, a black-green cloud flew out from it and transformed into a meter-long hand, swiping at the approaching black streak.

The purple-robed old man was shocked when he saw this. Before he realized what was happening, the tri-pointed stake was caught with ease and in an instant, he felt his connection severed. Then, the giant hand began to fly downwards.

In the old mans shock, he flusteredly formed incantation gestures, ordering the red flying sword to protect him. But suddenly, the black-green hand disappeared and a second later, it reappeared three meters above him as a fist and fiercely smashed down upon him.

Ah! The purple-robed old man let out a miserable scream before he was pounded into a bloody mush. freweovel.co

Afterwards, the black-green fist unfolded back into a hand and swiped across the old mans remains, taking an egg-sized ball of green light.

The hand then immediately shot back in Han Lis direction and circled once around him before transforming back into a Nascent Soul. The Nascent Soul sat down on Han Lis shoulder with a beaming smile and held the tri-pointed stake in one hand and a small ball of green light in the other.

Han Lis expression stirred at the sight of this.

While he was besieged by the Soaring Tribes cultivators, he didnt use his second Nascent Soul even once, keeping it in reserve for a critical opportunity to escape. However, it now proved far stronger than he had anticipated. A simple transformation technique was capable of easily slaying a Core Formation cultivator without the slightest resistance.

With that thought, he began to float down and approached the rainbow light barrier.

At that moment, the red flying sword had fallen to the ground as its master had now perished. It simply shined with faint light as it laid motionless.

Han Li didnt pay the sword any attention and walked right towards the seven-light barrier before closely examining it. He was able to clearly see the light barrier had originated from the blue jade pendant floating at the center of the barrier.

The jade pendant floated a meter above the blue-robed cultivators body and it glowed with seven-colored light. A few strange Buddhist characters would occasionally appear in the light. It was the jade pendant Han Li showed to Silvermoon and was inscribed with the words: Feng of Ning.

Han Li stared at the jade pendant for a moment before slowly asking, How is it, Senior? Is this magic tool refined by a Buddhist Sect?

Monarch Soul Divergence coldly snorted and indifferently said, The materials and magic tool are clearly of Buddhist make. However, it was clearly refined by a high-grade Buddhist cultivator. This magic tool wouldnt have been able to block the attacks of a Core Formation level magic treasure for such a long period of time if that werent the case. It seems there is a relationship between a Buddhist sect and the Feng Clan.

Han Li rejoiced after hearing Monarch Soul Divergences explanation, knowing his actions hadnt been in vain. He then stepped forward and pressed his hand against the barrier, covering it in a faint layer of blue flames.

With his current cultivation, he wasnt able to control a large amount of the Celestial Ice Flames and these meager amount of flames were already pushing his limit. But this proved more than enough as the seven-colored light barrier wasnt able to withstand its frigid cold for long. Soon after, the light barrier collapsed with a bang.

Han Li approached the blue-robed cultivator and examined the black bloodstain on his back before frowning.

He sensed the blue-robed cultivators aura had become incredibly unstable and weak. His body already started to emit the scent of death and it was clear his life wouldnt last much longer.

Without any hesitation, Han Li struck the blue-robed cultivators body with a magic seal and opened his mouth to spit out a cloud of azure Qi that enveloped the blue-robed cultivator. Then with a wave of his sleeve, the youths body flipped onto its back.

Han Li stared at the blue-robed cultivator and immediately felt his blood run cold.

It was truly Feng Yue, but his complexion was now totally black and his lips had turned a faint purple. It was a horrid sight to behold.

Han Li grimaced. After a moment of thought, he spread his spiritual sense throughout Feng Yues body and blue light flickered from his eyes.

The poison had already spread throughout his body and he should already be dead by all means. Given how odd this was, Han Li carefully continued his examination.

A short moment later, Han Li found something and tugged at Feng Yues collar. With a zap, a piece of his robes tore off, revealing a chain held onto a silver key.

The key pulsed with white light and continuously dispersed of the poison at the center of Feng Yues chest, which had also turned jet-black.

Han Lis gaze wandered and he grabbed onto Feng Yues arm. Azure light then glowed from his palm and quickly spread through Feng Yues body, slowly dispelling the poison. But suddenly, the azure spiritual Qi that Han Li released was turning black and it began to quickly spread back to his hand.

Agony Poison! Han Li yelled and his complexion paled. He immediately withdrew his hand and severed his spiritual Qi connection to Feng Yues arm.

Yi! One of the Ten Absolute Poisons? Youngster Han, youve wasted your energy. There is no way of saving this person now. Monarch Soul Divergence chuckled and spoke with a tone of schadenfreude.

When Han Li heard this, he couldnt help but roll his eyes and annoyedly snort. It might be impossible for me to completely remove the poison, but it wont be difficult for me to awaken him and keep him alive for ten days. I merely need to use a good number of spirit medicines, but I dont know if it will be worth the cost.

With that said, Han Li stood up and wore a pensive expression.

Silvermoon then suggested, Master, how about you awaken him first and have him make a few things clear before you come to a decision?

Thats true. Until I know about his relationship to the Buddhist sects of the Great Jin, I am unwilling to take any further actions. Soon after, Han Li slapped his storage pouch and produced a small white bottle into his hand.

That person isnt from the Soaring Tribes.

What? How does Master know this? Han Lis sudden statement came as a shock to Silvermoon.

Take a look at this. Han Li suddenly opened his hand and summoned a ball of blue light into it. It was the image of a jade pendant engraved with ancient characters.

These are ancient characters from the Great Jin, Silvermoon said, shocked.

In fact, I reckon that nothing wouldve happened to him even if I didnt act. The jade pendant Feng Yue carried on his body is a top grade magic tool. Every time the demon bird would draw close to him, it would automatically release a series of spirit waves to protect him.

He concealed it at his waist with only a meager layer of fabric, and I was able to clearly see it with my Brightsight Spirit Eyes. They most likely belong to a noble clan in the Great Jin.

Silvermoon grew pensive and said, Thats right. From ancient records, the Feng of Ning was a noble clan that extensively made use of its grand name. It seems our Fellow Daoist Fng should be Fellow Daoist Fng 1 instead. But where is this Ning, anyways? Is it the State of Ning in the thirty-six Jin Empire territories? Or is it the West Ning Province in one of its a hundred and eight provinces? Or is it from some common city named Ning?

Because Han Li wished to go to the Jin Empire, he acquired many ancient records relating to it. He didnt find her earlier statements surprising because he knew Silvermoon had looked through many of them as well.

Regardless of what Great Jin Clan he is a disciple of, his appearance in the Endless Sky Plains is a sign of trouble. As such, the less contact I have with him, the better. As of current, our priority is departing from the plains and finding a way to dissolve the baleful Qi on my body. With that said, he closed his eyes.

Silvermoon chuckled and agreed, Thats about right. Since this person is only at early Foundation Establishment stage and possesses a protective magic tool on that level, he must be an important character to the Feng Clan. But since he had now concealed himself in an escort for the tribute of a small tribe, there is certain to be some trouble following him.

Soon after, Silvermoon kept quiet as well.

A while later, several of the youths eventually managed to break through the huge chunks of ice trapping the Simian Vultures with large hammers, and they were able to properly butcher the three Simian Vultures. Afterwards, they gave the most precious of the materials, the claws and tail feathers, over to Han Li. The parts left over were divided amongst the two tribes.

Of course, because Han Li was the Immortal that the Grey Heron Tribe invited, they received the majority of the remains. While Tribe Leader Ba didnt acquire much, he was happy nonetheless as they acquired an unexpected harvest despite the fact that his tribes Immortal hadnt killed any of the beasts.

Inside the Red Wolf Tribes sealed carriage, the blue-robed cultivator took off his cloak to reveal a pale face. Apart from overly thin lips, he appeared rather handsome.

At that moment, he wore a cold expression and he patted around his neck before finding a golden chain that had a silver key linked to it. The key was was thick as a finger and several inches long. Mysterious designs were engraved on it along with a golden character, Fng 2.

After staring at the key, Feng Yue revealed a strange expression. Then, his face wavered between excitement and pain before ultimately wearing a gloomy expression.

He let out a long breath before carefully putting away the key. After confirming that no one could see the key as it hung on his neck, he closed his eyes and began to restore the magic power he had just consumed.

Not long after they finished cleaning the carcass of the last Simian Vulture, the two tribes began to set forth once more.

This time, none dared to wantonly speak in loud voices. Although the battle against the vultures didnt last long, it had shaken many of the Soaring Tribes youths. Those with spirit veins felt particularly excited and wished they could fly over to the temple immediately so that they may acquire the vast power of an Immortal.

The following day was uneventful, but as Han Li was comprehending the incantation to dissolve the Pestilence Demons Soullock Seal, the so-called temple encampment had entered the range of his spiritual sense.

Out of fear that there would be high-grade Immortals stationed near the encampment, Han Li didnt dare to sweep his spiritual sense closeby, but he did faintly mix spiritual Qi fluctuations, indicating there were many low-grade cultivators nearby.

Han Lis eyes wandered but his face remained expressionless.

After travelling ten kilometers, both the tribes let out a cheer. Han Lis expression stirred and he swept his sleeve, opening the carriages curtains. He saw flat plains around them and a large black dot in the distance.

Blue light flickered in Han Lis eyes and he was able to clearly see what was the black dot.

There was a wall twelve meters tall formed from thick stone and logs. At the back of the wall, there were lofty tents the Soaring Tribes were fond of and a few crude wooden buildings. Occasionally, Soaring Tribes mortals would roam around them, causing the area to appear rather lively.

Amongst the tents and wooden buildings, there was a faintly seen hall made from a single huge stone surrounded with sparsely few buildings. A few peculiarly dressed cultivators would occasionally walk into the hall.

As Han Lis gaze wandered across this so-called encampment, he would spot huge stone pillars erected across its perimeter.

These stone pillars glowed with dazzling light, and they were a hundred meters tall and thicker than the width of a person. This was clearly a large scale spell formation placed by the Endless Sky Temple to protect the encampment. There were also no cultivators flying inside the encampment so it was clear to see the spell formation restricted travel by air.

After sizing up the town, Han Li had no further interest it in and closed the curtain.

Two hours later, Han Lis party had arrived at the entrance of the encampment. There werent any guards to speak off and the group entered as they pleased.

Ying Lu and the Tribe Leader Ba had a brief discussion before separating and heading off in their own direction.

Inside the encampment, Han Li was able to clearly see everything with his spiritual sense. It was exactly as he saw in the distance, chaotic. Fur tents and wood buildings were scattered everywhere and only the main roads were clear. It was clear that apart from the stone structures, the buildings were only temporary shelter for the tribes that were passing through to offer tribute.

However, those that needed to rest here were all the small tribes that had to travel the farthest. Larger tribes didnt have the need to travel farther as they resided near the temple.

As a result, a vast majority of these tents and wooden buildings appeared entirely ordinary with a few that even had patches on them, only the wealthiest tribes among them had a few slightly larger tents with a few minor decorations. It was clear to see these small tribes werent very wealthy.

After difficultly finding an empty area in a remote corner of the encampment, the Grey Heron Tribe began to set up their tents.

Han Li walked out from the carriage and indifferently observed their actions. Ying Lu hesitated for a moment before he walked over to Han Li and spoke with a respectful tone, Immortal Han, it is quite disorderly here. I fear it isnt suitable for the peaceful cultivation of a great Immortal such as yourself. There is a resting area specialized in housing Immortals. How about Immortal Han rest there for the time being? In two days, we will resume our journey.

I will then. In two days time, I will come find you. Han Li nodded and then took off in the direction of the tallest structure in the encampment, a huge two-story stone hall. There were cultivators that would occasionally enter and leave. It was clear this was the building Ying Lu had mentioned.

After walking a short distance, Han Li arrived in front of the stone hall.

The entrance had two fifteen-meter-tall sculptures to either side of the entrance, flood dragons with the head of a bull. Han Li took a brief glance before passing it by. Although he was confident his disguise as a Soaring Tribes cultivator was perfect, he felt ill at ease for being near so many other Soaring Tribe cultivators. If there were any Nascent Soul cultivators nearby, it could end badly for him. It would be better for him to leave the encampment and find some place nearby. Then in two days time, he would continue to travel with the Grey Heron Tribe.

By the time they arrived at the Endless Sky Temple, the rumors about him shouldve subsided and hell then resume his journey to leave the plains. Although it will still be quite some time until he could enter the Great Jin Empire, the journey would go smoother if he were careful.

With that in mind, Han Li calmly walked out from the encampment and took out a small sword before using it to fly in a streak of light. About thirty kilometers away, Han Li stopped above an unremarkable field of scattered stone.

He swept his gaze around him and descended upon a twenty meter tall bolder. He sat cross-legged on it before releasing his spiritual sense around him, sweeping the perimeter for ten kilometers to find there was no one around him. He then turned around and flicked his fingers to the huge boulder in front him. A wave of azure sword Qi cut through it and created a six-meter wide hole inside of it, just enough for a person to enter.

Han Li sat down cross-legged to test the hole and felt the interim shelter was to his satisfaction. He then walked thirty meters in front of the huge boulder and took out a set of formation flags. Over ten streaks of light shot out and an invisibility spell formation was placed around the boulder.

From the outside, the huge boulder completely disappeared from view.

Han Li entered the spell formation in a blur and completely vanished from sight.

In the blink of an eye, an entire day had already passed. Han Li was silently meditating in his cave, comprehending the incantation that Monarch Soul Divergence had given him. The process went far smoother than he had anticipated and he was close to finishing it, much to his delight.

As he pondered about a problematic portion of the incantation, his brow stirred and his mind snapped out of meditation. He opened his eyes with a flabbergasted expression.

1 The blue-robed cultivator gives his name as Fng instead of Fng. They are partially homophones apart from their change in tone. fгeewbnoel.cm

2 See above. It is engraved with his clan name.

The blue-robed cultivator turned pale with fright and hastily commanded his flying magic tool to shoot back in order to avoid the two Simian Vultures attacks. He had clearly underestimated them. As grade two demon beasts, the vultures were bound to possess some ability.

Before the two vultures fully descended, they released a piercing shriek. When the blue-robed cultivator heard this, he felt both his body and mind shaking as if he were struck by a hammer and swayed several times. Then, a wind carrying a fishy scent blew down above him and the blue-robed cultivator yelled in fear, his complexion turning completely pale.

At that moment, two muffled booms sounded out. Two fist-sized fireballs had shot out and struck the two incoming vultures. Red light shined from the explosions and raging flames enveloped them, heating up the nearby air with its blistering temperature.

The Simian Vultures howls came to a sudden stop.

The blue-robed cultivator was delighted at having just escaped death. He then quickly commanded the magic tool to return to him and shot forty meters away before taking out a talisman and slapping it on his body.

With a yellow light barrier appearing on his body, the blue-robed cultivator felt safer, now realizing that spell techniques were different in practice and reality. His inexperience had nearly resulted in his death.

With that thought, he couldnt help but look downward with surprise to see Han Li, who was also wearing an azure cloak. Of course, the blue-robed cultivator knew it was he who saved his life.

The fireballs that Han Li released with his Foundation Establishment cultivation werent enough to slay the grade-two demon beasts. The two Simian Vultures shortly flew out of the flames with an even more grotesque appearance.

The vultures had most of their features burned away and no longer paid the blue-robed cultivator any attention as they were now flying in Han Lis direction. As for the vulture with its claw chopped off, it was now rushing towards the blue-robed cultivator with scarlet eyes.

Han Li looked at the two huge birds and unconsciously wrinkled his brow. He then slapped one of the pouches at his waist and released two streaks of white light, each of them containing a half-foot-long snow-white centipede.

The two centipedes were far smaller than the Simian Vultures, but they appeared to buzz with excitement as if holding no fear of them.

As soon as the centipedes were summoned, they rushed to meet the vultures head on, but the vultures ape heads contorted in fear and hurriedly flapped their wings to stop their charge. After smelling the insects with their nostrils, they even attempted to flee in fear.

The scent of ancient exotic insects wasnt something that low-grade demon beasts dared to approach.

However, the two centipedes possessed no intent to allow them to run free. They released a monstrous screech and opened their mouths, spitting out white glacial Qi that rushed forward with intense speed. The vultures could only let out a miserable scream before they were submerged by it.

The centipedes then flew forward in a gust of wind and entered the glacial Qi without any hesitation.

When Han Li saw this, he paid no further attention to the battle on his side and turned to look at the blue-robed cultivator.

The blue-robed cultivator was controlling the small sword as sweat drenched his body. As for the injured Simian Vulture, it was still putting up quite a fight and appeared just as vicious as when it was healthy. It was deftly running in circles around the blue-robed cultivator in a brown blur, incessantly cawing, and would occasionally attack at the light barrier with its single claw. The constant attacks on the light barrier left the blue-robed cultivator distraught and incapable of wholeheartedly focusing on the battle.

Although the flying sword was powerful, its master was far too unaccustomed to using it. He was able to injure the vulture initially when he caught it off guard, but he now could barely keep track of it. As for his other talismans, they were beyond the abilities of the blue-robed cultivator. It was already difficult to control the sword magic tool, it would be impossible to further divide his attention. If nothing else happened, he would soon suffer defeat and perish.

A cold glint flickered in Han Lis eyes as he saw the Simian Vulture turning several times in the air. Just as he pondered whether or not he should help, the vulture sensed something and let out a caw before stopping to chase the blue-robed cultivator. It then unfolded its wings and traveled over forty meters away in an instant.

This scene came as a surprise to both the blue-robed cultivator and Han Li, but Han Li simply snorted. He unceremoniously raised his hands and a red thread shot out. The vultures figure suddenly stopped in the air before smashing into the ground, motionless.

Although he had only entered the Endless Sky Plains recently, Han Li had heard of the extreme grudges the Simian Vultures could hold. As he didnt wish for any problems to occur in the future, he decided it would be best to cut the problem short while he could.

Han Lis sudden attack came as a surprise to the blue-robed cultivator and he shouted out in alarm, A flying needle! You use flying needle magic tools!

Han Li glanced at the blue-robed cultivator and calmly asked, What? Is there anything strange about that?

He waved his hand towards the vultures corpse and a red streak shot back into his hand. It was an inch-long sparkling silver needle that glowed with red light.

Of course not, its only… Before the blue-robed cultivator could continue his explanation, he was interrupted with two muffled thuds. Two sparkling white blocks of ice fell to the ground and left meter deep holes where they landed. Inside these ice blocks were both of the Simian Vultures, wide-eyed and obviously dead.

As the blue-robed cultivator stared in shock, a white light flashed from the blocks of ice and two streaks of light flew out, circling around Han Li before landing on his shoulder.

The blue-robed cultivator dryly swallowed and asked, Your esteemed self cultivates spirit insects?

Han Li stroked one of the centipedes on his shoulder and said, Thats right. I am the one who nurtured these two Glacial Snow Centipedes.

Glacial Snow Centipedes werent something that Han Li fabricated. They were a true exotic insect and after maturity, they appeared similar to the current form of the Six-winged Frost Centipedes. If one wasnt experienced with exotic insects, they wouldnt be able to tell the difference.

Much to Han Lis surprise, the blue-robed cultivator eagerly said, Would Fellow Daoist be willing to part with the flying needle and the spirit insects? I will purchase them at a great cost.

Han Li was taken aback for a moment and then smiled, saying, Is Fellow Daoist joking? These insects have already recognized me as their master and you might not be able to afford my price for the flying needle.

Spirit stones are no matter. I will accept any price you state! The blue-robed cultivator spoke in an overbearing tone without thinking the matter through. His heart was stirred from the sight of the needle slaying the Simian Vulture in an instant.

When Han Li heard this, he narrowed his eyes. After examining the blue-robed cultivator for a long while, his expression grew sullen and he coldly said, Apologies, but this needle is very convenient for me to use. For the time being, I cannot sell it.

Since you are unwilling then so be it. If I also had such an incisive magic tool, I might not be willing to sell it either, the blue-robed cultivator responded with disappointment, then with a flicker of his eyes, he asked with a calm tone, My name is Feng Yue, and I have yet to properly thank you for saving my life. Might I ask for your esteemed name?

My surnamed is Han! How about we put everyone in order first? Han Li indifferently said.

In order? The blue-robed cultivator was stunned for a moment before glancing around. At an unknown time, the mortals had come out of hiding and were standing up. However, all of them were crowding thirty meters away from the cultivators with expressions of reverence.

The leaders from both the tribes were the only ones standing close to them. They appeared somewhat excited, but Ying Lu appeared particularly happy.

Ying Lu had clearly saw the three Simian Vultures were slain entirely by Immortal Han, who he had hired along the way. This immortals grand abilities were found beyond what he had expected, much to his delight. It seemed that he alone would be enough to keep them safe on the journey.

Han Li called out to the tribe leaders and commanded, Deal with the demon beasts. Bring me their claws and tail feathers. As for the rest, you may use them as you wish. reewebovel.com

According to the rules of the plains, the slayer of the demon beast had a claim over all of its parts. Although these materials were meager and of lesser quality, they were naturally valuable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator and Han Li couldnt ignore them under his current identity.

Yes! We will follow your orders. Ying Lu said with delight. The flesh of the Simian Vulture might be worth nothing to an Immortal, but they were very valuable in the eyes of mortals and could be traded for many things.

Tribe Leader Ba also acknowledged the order with a respectful tone. Then, the two let out a series of yells and the burly youths of the tribes walked out to deal with the corpses of the vultures. The one slain by the flying needle was easy to prepare, but the frozen vultures needed to first be shattered.

If Immortal Feng is unharmed, then how about you return to your carriage and rest? I feel somewhat tired as well and will be heading back first. Han Li spoke to the blue-robed cultivator with an indifferent tone and then walked back towards his carriage without waiting for a response.

Han Lis indifferent attitude left the blue-robed cultivator at a loss. He had originally planned on making friends with him after seeing his incisive magic tool and spirit insects, but Han Li had unexpectedly cut him short and departed, leaving him in an awkward position.

From the kindness of having been saved by Han Li and the strength he revealed as well, the blue-robed cultivator couldnt retort. After a long while, he could only sigh and resentfully return to his carriage.

Unbeknownst to the blue-robed cultivator, Han Li was sitting cross-legged in the carriage, silently looking at him as he departed.

Master! That person has quite a bit of backing. Why has Master separated himself from him? Silvermoons baffled voice appeared in his mind.

After resting for a time, Silvermoon had finally recovered enough strength to speak without effort.

Under these current circumstances, being able to unleash such a ferocious insect will be very useful in protecting his life. As Han Lis heart stirred, the small flag in his hand grew several times in size and the matured Gold Devouring Beetle revolved once around him before landing on the banner. Black Qi surged around the banner and then the beetle disappeared without a trace.

Soon after, Han Li unceremoniously tossed the banner towards his black-green Nascent Soul and it opened its mouth with a laugh, absorbing the Yin Sifting Banner into its body. Then in a flash of light, the Nascent Soul flew onto the top of Han Lis head and disappeared from sight.

Han Li took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He began to comprehend the incantation to dissolve the Pestilence Demons Soullock Seal in case of future mishaps, but then his expression stirred and he turned his head to the sky.

Although his cultivation was sealed, this hadnt affected Han Lis powerful spiritual sense. If he were correct, a Soaring Tribes cultivator had flown above the Grey Heron Tribes escort once more.

He found this quite interesting. This Soaring Tribes cultivator was clearly looking for him. Over the last two weeks, they would fly above the carriage every three days or so, but they would rush away each time. They didnt ask any questions to the mortals in the escort either, saving Han Li the effort of using any of the concealment techniques he prepared.

Although he felt puzzled by this, Han Li was happy with their search methods and promptly closed his eyes once more.

At that moment, Ying Lu loudly shouted to the rest of the escort, Muster yourselves! In two days, well arrive at the designated temple encampment. When we get there, we can rest safely for a few days.

Temple encampment? When Han Li heard this, his heart stirred. After muttering to himself for a moment, he paid this no further mind and focused again on comprehending the incantation.

Half a day later, Han Li sensed a nearby escort from another tribe. The escort didnt appear very large but they did have a dozen more members than the Grey Heron Tribes escort. From the direction they were heading in, they should meet with the Grey Heron Tribe in about two hours, but because they appeared harmless, Han Li hadnt mention it to Ying Lu.

About two hours later, the two escorts ran across one another, causing quite the disturbance. Both sides scrambled into formation, but it turned out that Ying Lu and the leader of the Red Wolf Tribes escort were old friends. The two were overjoyed by their meeting and decided to travelled together.

The Red Wolf Tribes leader, a large man with a full beard, glanced at Ying Lus carriages and curiously asked, Brother Ying, do you have an Immortal with your tribe? Is he on a carriage?

Ying Lu didnt answer but asked, Your tribes Immortals arent on your carriages? Did you bring them on the journey?

Immortals? The large man glanced at Ying Lu with slanted eyes and muttered, There was only one and he was an unaffiliated Immortal that I only acquired by abandoning my pride and paying him at great cost. Could it be that you have two Immortals? As the two were friends, he spoke without reserve.

Two? Ying Lu sighed and said, I only have one of course. Ive only managed to barely have him agree to protect us on this journey as well. The two then bitterly laughed with a sense of mutual suffering.

Ying Lu then added on, Alright. We are now only a day away from the encampment and nothing else should happen. But after that, we will pass by the territory of a large tribe along the way. It will be best to be a bit careful. How about we travel together with a few other small tribes along that way? It will be safer, not to mention that we have an Immortal in our ranks.

The large man hesitated for a moment and asked, Can I give this some thought? The last time I joined together with many small tribes, I was drawn into trouble because one of the tribes was carrying some incredibly precious goods.

Brother Bas fears are something that rarely ever happens, Ying Lu shook his head in disapproval and said, The odds of small tribes like ours to carry something precious are far lower than our chances getting robbed regardless.

Fine, Ill give the matter some further thought. Tribe Leader Ba replied.

At that moment, the two tribes escorts were travelling together and were having friendly chats with one another. The particularly beautiful women of the two tribes were being crowded around by the young men and they would occasionally give off a clear laugh.

Since these women were picked to present the tribute, they were naturally among the most beautiful in the tribe. It was no surprise that the men amongst them were filled with excitement.

When Ying Lu heard the laughter, he couldnt help but shake his head and thought to tell them to quiet down for fear that they would offend the Immortal in the carriage. But then, a strange shriek cried out from above and was clearly heard by everyone in the two parties.

When Ying Lu heard this, his expression vastly changed and he turned to glance at Tribe Leader Ba at his side. The large mans expression appeared unsightly as well and was filled with terror.

Everyone, get down from your horses and hide! Ying Lu hurriedly cried out, They are Simian Vultures! Quickly call for Immortal Han to come out!

At that moment, Tribe Leader Ba loudly cried out to his own tribe, Hide in the carriages! Quickly call out Immortal Feng to deal with these demon birds.

At the very name of the Simian Vultures, the tribes were thrown into a flurry. All of them dismounted from their horses in terror with some even tumbling down from their horse. Then they lied on their stomachs or hid into the carriages as they looked to the skies with pale complexions.

There were three black dots in the sky that grew larger to the eye as time passed by. In nearly an instant, they could be made out to be three demon birds.

They had the head of an ape and the body of a bird. Their wings spanned six meters long and they had a pair of fur-colored ape arms on their body. They loudly bellowed with blood-curdling screams, inciting terror in anyone who heard them.

Although Simian Vultures were only grade two demon birds, they were far more cruel and intelligent than other demon beasts of their rank. Not only were they extraordinarily strong and capable of splitting metal with their claws, but their bewitching cries were effective even against early Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone any mortal. Normally, it was rare for one to appear in the plains, but now that three have appeared, the mortals in the escort had completely lost themselves to fear.

A cold snort sounded out from one of the Red Wolf Tribes carriages and a blue-clothed silhouette shot out in a flash of red light. As he floated in the air on an embroidered scarf, he disdainfully said, What is there to panic over? Are they not simply grade two demon beasts?

Ying Lu couldnt help but look at this person in alarm. This Immortal also wore an azure cloak over his head and his voice sounded young. frewebnovel.com

Immortal Feng, please be careful! There are three Simian Vultures! Tribe Leader Ba loudly shouted with a distressed voice.

When Tribe Leader Ba employed Immortal Feng, he knew the cultivator was at the early Foundation Establishment stage. According to this, he would have a bit of difficulty dealing with only a single Simian Vulture, let alone three of them. This left Tribe Leader Ba in much distress.

As for Ying Lu, he hastily turned his sights on one of his carriages as he laid on his stomach. He saw another man who was also wearing an azure cloak. The man was standing on top of the carriage and was looking at the sky. Ying Lu felt somewhat at ease at the sight of Immortal Han. So long as his cultivation wasnt too low, the two Immortals may stand a chance of warding off the three Simian Vultures if they joined hands.

At that moment, the three Simian Vultures naturally saw the appearance of the blue-robed Immortal floating in the air. They hadnt known there was an Immortal among the escorts and knew that he would be difficult to deal with, but they were reluctant to abandon their prey. They hesitated for a moment and began to circle in the air about three hundred meters away from them.

Looking to die? The blue-robed man snorted after seeing that the Simian Vultures wouldnt retreat. Irritated, he raised his hand and simultaneously released several talismans, instantly forming three three-meter-long fire serpents that pounced towards the vultures.

Yi! The fire serpent technique! Han Li couldnt help but to yelp in alarm after seeing this. Although the fire serpent technique was only a low-grade spell technique, the talismans for this technique were quite costly for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to casually make use of. This caused Han Li to narrow his eyes, feeling a bit of interest towards this cultivator. However, he soon frowned and inwardly sighed.

Although the three fire serpents were powerful, the three vultures could easily avoid them at such a large distance. It appeared the blue-robed man had a very shallow understanding of the fire serpent technique and didnt know how to command them to pursue an enemy when they evaded, wasting the talismans only to incite the vultures.

The biggest of the vultures let out a fierce cry and the three of them simultaneously spread out their wings to dive directly towards the blue-robed cultivator.

When the blue-robed man saw that the fire serpents didnt have any effect, he blankly stared for a moment before catching sight of the three vultures rushing towards him. Then in a panic, he rushed to took out a small shining white sword and began to hastily utter an incantation to have it strike at the vultures.

Han Li felt even more disapproval at the sight of this.

Given that the vultures were already attacking, it was better to first place a protective barrier on ones body. Wasnt it suicidal to conduct a magic tool to attack instead? It was obvious this cultivator wasnt experienced in battle, but the small sword was a high-grade magic tool. It seemed he had a bit of backing.

The blue-robed man uttered the incantation with great practice and completed activating the magic treasure by the time the vultures had arrived. In a flash of light, the small sword transformed into a meter-long streak of white light and struck at the vulture at the middle with immense speed.

The vulture knew that it found itself in a perilous situation and blurred in an attempt to dodge, but it was too late. It could only hold out one of its claws to block the white streak.

The white streak was only stalled for a single moment before a blood-curdling scream sounded out. The black claw was easily sliced through by the sword streak and blood splattered through the air. However, the other two demon birds had already arrived over the blue-robed mans head, their four claws reaching out towards the top of his head.

In a completely sealed room, there was a three-meter-tall offering table surrounded by a dozen of various-colored formation flags. The flags glowed with light and formed a temporary spell formation. On the table, there was a dark-green formation plate surrounded with waves of green Qi. The figure of a Nascent Soul could be faintly seen sitting cross-legged within the smoke and appeared to be breathing the smoke in and out as if it were cultivating something.

At the corners of the sealed room, there were four old men sitting cross-legged who each held a dark green spell flag in their hands. The flags were all pointed at the circular plate at the center of the room and they released faint threads of green smoke that slowly spread towards the plate.

This strange scene almost appeared as if painted. The room was completely silent.

After an unknown amount of time, the four old men appeared to have grown tired and the Nascent Soul within the green mist became more stable and clearer to see.

The red-haired old man sitting in one of the corners put away the flag and stood up, cupping his fist to the other three in the room. I cant thank you Fellow Daoists enough for your hard work. After a few more days, Junior Martial Brother Gui will be able to recover.

Once this was said, the other three also put away their spell flags. The pale beardless old man among them hastily returned the salute and chuckled, saying, There is no need for Brother Hun to appear overly courteous. Ive known Brother Gui for many years. Using a bit of my strength for him is only natural.

The red-haired old man then took a brief glance at the Nascent Soul sitting cross-legged and sincerely said, Regardless of how it is said, my Junior Martial Brother and I will always remember this kindness.

The pale old man chuckled and said, Dont be so formal, Fellow Daoist Hun!

The red-haired old mans expression sank and he sullenly said, Thats right. Weve been trapped here since the very beginning to assist Immortal Gui over the loss of his Nascent Soul. We dont yet know if there was more information on the foreign cultivator. We all know how incredibly rare it is for Gold Devouring Beetles to lay eggs. It is truly hard to believe there are others in this world capable of controlling over ten thousand of them. Since I was late to arrive, I didnt join the battle to trap the foreign cultivator. He mustve been fearsome since he took down three Nascent Soul stage Immortals.

When he said this, the other three exchanged a glance and revealed faint dread on their faces.

The pale old man sighed and said, How could there be such a fearsome person? In addition to his Gold Devouring Beetles, he can also release purple flames and golden lightning. Of the first group of Nascent Soul Immortals to block his path, there were two who perished as a result of these two techniques. The golden lightning trapped one of the Immortals Nascent Soul and the purple flame easily destroyed it. As for the second Immortal, he wouldve died no matter how careful he wouldve been.

Not only that, but he also controls fearsome magic treasures, the plump old man added on with a fearful expression, He has a strange set of gold-azure flying swords that number around sixty or seventy, all of them incredibly sharp. There were many treasures destroyed by those swords. Not to mention that wicked pair of wings on his back that are capable of lightning movement without an incantation, making him nearly impossible to catch. Brother Hun may jest over the matter, but when the seven of us surrounded him at the time, we felt our backs drenched in sweat from an immense fear of death. Just as we were on the verge of retreating for the time being, one of the Grand Elders fortunately responded to our summons on time and he launched a sneak attack on the foreign cultivator and heavily injured him with the Elemental Immortalwrest Palm. After the foreign cultivator was injured, he instantly transformed into a crimson blur and broke through the encirclement. We attempted to use our spiritual sense to find him, but we couldnt find a single trace of him. The Grand Elder explained that this person has already fled hundreds of kilometers away and we were unable to pursue him as a result.

The red-haired old man wore an unsightly expression and asked, Could it be this person is actually a famous top grade cultivator from one of the grand sects of the Great Jin Empire? It is no wonder that only one of Junior Martial Brother Guis Six Essence Soul Divisions was barely able to escape him.

There is no need for Brother Hun to worry. You should know the might of the Elemental Immortalwrest Palm. Even if that person escaped from this land, the strike shouldve greatly damaged his cultivation. There is no need to fear him. Furthermore, the guest that accompanied the saintess from the Great Jin is residing in a nearby Endless Sky Temple. If that person is a cultivator from the Great Jin, the guest should know of his strange abilities. We will be able to better deal with this cultivator after we figure out how to deal with him. Even if this person is truly a cultivator from a powerful sect from the Great Jin, the Grand Elders wont let him go after killing so many of our Nascent Soul Immortals. Besides, his methods of breeding such a vast number of Gold Devouring Beetles must also be investigated. The pale-faced old man spoke with a tone of resentment. It appeared he had suffered quite a bit in his battle with Han Li.

I hope that is the case, the red-haired old man muttered, But fortunately, the cultivators Gold Devouring Beetles havent yet fully matured. Otherwise, he wouldve forced even the four Great Elders to retreat if he wouldve released ten thousand of them.

When the other old men heard this, they exchanged a glance and could only bitterly smile. As Soaring Tribes Immortals, they naturally knew the might of fully mature Gold Devouring Beetles.

Just as the old men in the room felt at ease, the Nascent Soul sitting cross-legged in the green mist suddenly let out a piercing shriek and its hands held its head as it rolled around in great anguish. Its body appeared as if on the verge of dissipating.

Not good! Everyone, quickly take action! The red-haired old man immediately shouted in alarm.

When the other old men saw what was happening, they knew matters had turned for the worse and they quickly summoned the spell flags once more. Under the control of their spell seals, four clouds of green mist shot towards the center of the room and enveloped the Nascent Soul in an attempt to restore it.

Time slowly passed by as the four old men mustered their might and the screaming from within the green mist lessened. After a moment more, the Nascent Soul was calmly sitting cross-legged once more as it attempted to absorb the green mist with all of its strength.

After an unknown amount of time, the Nascent Soul softly spoke as if attempting to catch its breath, Many… Many thanks for your great assistance. I am fine… now… You may stop.

When the four old men heard this, they felt a wave of relief and ceased their casting. To tell the truth, they had been straining themselves after doing this for so long. Although they were still able to push themselves to continue, their vitality and strength would suffer as a result.

The pale old man couldnt help but ask, Brother Gui, what caused your Nascent Soul to disperse once more? This is extremely dangerous.

The Nascent Soul gritted its teeth and said, Fel-… Fellow Daoists, please dont worry. Nothing else will happen. Its just that… my link with my Gold Devouring Beetle was severed. My spirit… spiritual sense was affected.

The red-haired old man felt his heart drop and he asked in alarm, What?! The Gold Devouring Beetle had perished? How had he done this? Mature Gold Devouring Beetles are nearly invulnerable. How could they be easily destroyed?

After a moment of thought, the pale old man said, This isnt anything odd. Without Brother Gui to personally command them, their destruction was inevitable. After all, there are a few top grade Devil Dao techniques able to directly strike at their souls without striking at their body.

Oh? In that case, this person must be a Devil Dao cultivator, the fourth shriveled old man hesitantly said, But when we first fought against him, a majority of his techniques didnt appear to come from the Devil Dao.

When that was said, the many cultivators looked at each other in dismay as silence filled the room.

…

Meanwhile in a faraway place, Han Li was taking a deep breath inside the carriage. He felt quite a bit of relief in his heart. After half a month of continuous effort, he eventually managed to wipe away the soul in the mature Gold Devouring Beetle and absorbed it into the Yin Sifting Banner. During this time, the Grey Heron Tribe didnt disturb him even once, much to Han Lis unexpected delight.

Of course, he was completely ignorant that he had nearly exterminated the owner of the Gold Devouring Beetle in the instant he destroyed the souls.

He waved his hand and grasped at the black devilish Qi in front of him. In a gust of wind, a small black flag flew out from the mist and into his hand. The remaining black mist roiled and transformed into a black-green Nascent Soul. It was holding a huge sparkling golden beetle in its hand. Below the Nascent Soul was a white jade box with all of its seals removed.

Han Li fiddled with the small flag in his hand and swept his gaze past the golden beetle. The beetle was half a foot long and had a pair of vicious inch-long fangs along with a fiendish appearance. It was several times larger than Han Lis own Gold Devouring Beetles.

However, the beetle was completely soulless and lacked any vigor.

After some thought, he reached out to the Yin Sifting Banner and a fist-sized ball of green light flew out, revolving once in front of him before dropping down.

The soft green light appeared exactly the same as the mature Gold Devouring Beetle, but it was smaller and its body was tainted black with shining scarlet eyes.

Go! Han Li pointed at it and the Gold Devouring Beetles soul shot into its original body in a streak of black light.

Crimson light immediately flashed from the huge golden beetle and it unfurled its wings before flying around Han Lis second Nascent Soul.

With a happy expression on his face, Han Li muttered, If I guessed correctly, it should be fine if I treat this insect as a refined demon corpse. Although its power is far less than the original, it should still be exceptionally powerful. If I wish to truly control it, I will have to refine it with devilish Qi once through.

Chapter 883: Another PerspectiveOn the day Han Li struck down the flesh body of the Soaring Tribes mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, a portion of cultivators Nascent Soul managed to escape, but the fully matured Gold Devouring Beetle that was under his control were left behind. Familiar with the characteristics of the beetle, Han Li easily captured it alive with his second Nascent Soul and restrained them in a jade box.

He originally planned on waiting for a safe time before examining the differences between the mature Gold Devouring Beetles and his own, but given his current drop in cultivation, he needed to deal with the insect as soon as possible. If the abilities of the mature Gold Devouring Beetle was far greater than what he originally anticipated and it broke out of its restrictions, it would be hugely troublesome with his current cultivation as he wouldnt be able to restrain it.

With that in mind, Han Li took a deep breath and suddenly flipped his hand, producing several variously colored formation flags in his palm. With a flick of his fingers, the formation flags scattered and formed a restriction barrier enveloping the carriage. reewebove.com

Han Li placed the jade box on his knee and slowly closed his eyes. Black light flashed and a black-green Nascent Soul appeared from the top of his head. The Nascent Soul rubbed its hands together and summoned the jet-black Yin Sifting Banner into its grasp.

Because he handed over the flag over for his second Nascent Soul to refine, it was the sole magic treasure that was able to escape the restraints of the Pestilence Demons Soullock Seal.

Gold Devouring Beetles couldnt be harmed with heat or cold and were impervious to blades. The only method he had currently that could kill them were the Yin essence devil heads formed from the banner. Their refinement method was something he had acquired from the soul of the Yin Sifting Sect Elder.

Of course, wiping away the soul imprints on the fully matured Gold Devouring Beetle wasnt something that could be done in a short amount of time. In truth, if the Gold Devouring Beetles master had perished instead of being severely weakened, he wouldnt have dared to make an attempt.

He was incredibly cautious of the mature Gold Devouring Beetle and placed down several restrictions as a result, fearing that they run rampant.

Then, the black-green Nascent Soul waved its small flag above its head and a foot-long cloud of devilish Qi appeared above it. The Nascent Soul leapt forward and disappeared into the cloud before the cloud sank downward and wrapped around the jade box.

The sound of the soft buzzing within the box suddenly grew louder and fervent.

The devilish cloud wrapped around the jade box began to roil and the buzzing became sharp and deafening, but Han Li was indifferent. With his hands grasped in an incantation gesture, his body remained still. Under these restrictions, he had no fear of the buzzing alerting the Grey Heron Tribe outside. He simply drew out the beetles primal soul.

The difficult refinement process had started.

The Grey Heron Tribe members were greatly interested in Immortal Han, but ever since he entered the carriage, he hadnt emerged.

Clan Leader Ying Lu had particularly forbidden anyone from disturbing the Immortals cultivation, much to the disappointment of many of the youths.

Ten days later, they found a pack of wild goats across the canyon and hunted quite a bit of them. And after half a month, nothing out of the ordinary had happened, much to the relief of Ying Lu.

After another few days, they arrived at a very safe place for rest. The Endless Sky Temples would use magic power to quickly set up temporary encampment nearby, specifically as rest stops for any tribes passing through. Once the Day of Spirit Release passed, these rest stops would be immediately dissolved.

As Ying Lu thought this, a sound suddenly appeared from above and he unconsciously raised his head to take a look. It was a streak of blinding white light streaking past them. A faint silhouette could be seen within the light, and it disappeared an instant later.

When Ying Lu and the youths saw this, an uproar broke out.

Ying Lu frowned and felt somewhat apprehensive. From his experience in the past sacred war, those streaking lights were produced by high-grade immortals. This strange scene was rarely seen. High-grade immortals only flew across the highest of places where mortals could rarely see them.

If he remembered correctly, in the past few days he saw four streaks of light flying at a low altitude. Could it be that something important happened in the past few days? Was a tribe robbed of their tribute?

Despite the puzzlement he felt, the old man felt relief. With high-grade Immortals patrolling the skies, they should be safe for the time being.

After some further consideration, Ying Lu loudly called out the escort behind him and urged them to gain more speed.

Unbeknownst to Ying Lu, the white light had actually scoured a perimeter of fifty kilometers at a low altitude before heading off south. And a streak of red light not far away flew in its direction.

When the two streaks of light encountered one another, their light disappeared to reveal a middle-aged man wearing faint yellow fur clothes and a beautiful woman in her late twenties wearing palace robes.

The middle-aged man took the initiative to salute the woman and said, So it was Immortal Xiu. I didnt discover anything on my side. How about you?

Brother Li, does it look like Ive found anything? The woman spoke coldly with a grimace.

The middle-aged man sighed with an anxious expression and said, In the last few days, we already searched an area of a thousand kilometers only to find no trace of him. Even if his concealment techniques were brilliant, we should definitely be able to find traces of him with our cultivation. How about we interrogate the tribute carriages travelling down below?

It seems Immortal Li is truly tempted by the reward, but is the Venomous Dragon Pill worth your life? The woman said with a cold laugh.

The middle-aged man paused for a moment before asking with bewilderment, What is that supposed to mean? Could it be that Immortal Xiu isnt tempted by the reward?

The woman didnt directly respond and indifferently asked, When Brother Li received the mission, what did those Nascent Soul grade elders tell you?

After some hesitation, the middle-aged man honestly replied, My superior told me that there was a foreign Nascent Soul cultivator that is trespassing in our Endless Sky Plains. He also grievously injured one of our elders. As such, he must be captured alive. Given that he is injured, it should be possible for Core Formation cultivators like us to capture him.

The woman snorted and a mocking smile appeared on her face. Brother Li, because youve come late, you dont know much of the situation. If it were me, I absolutely wouldnt want to find this foreign cultivator.

Since Cultivator Xiu has spoken as such, there must be a reason. Could you tell me why? The middle-aged man asked with a solemn expression.

After a moment of silence, the woman sighed and said, Weve known each other for many years. I will tell you the truth and prevent you from foolishly throwing away your life. I arrived earlier and heard some information about this foreign cultivator from one of the elders. It is true that this foreign cultivator is at Nascent Soul stage and is grievously wounded, but the one who personally dealt the blow wasnt any Nascent Soul cultivator, but the one of the Grand Immortals.

What? A Grand Immortal was the one to injure him? The man asked in shock.

Thats right. I also heard the Grand Immortal was only able to launch a successful sneak attack on the foreign cultivator when he was surrounded by many other elders. Before this, he had already killed three Nascent Soul grade Immortals. It was said this person possessed extremely vicious abilities and that he was unphased by the attacks. Even under heavy injury, he was able to escape the Grand Immortal through the use of a secret technique. From the way I see it, this foreign cultivator is likely on par with our Grand Immortal. In that case, he will be able to easily slay two measly Core Formation cultivators like us, no matter how injured he may be. I dont wish to forfeit my life over a Venomous Dragon Pill!

The womans face turned sullen as she continued, And from the way I see it, the Nascent Soul Immortals that dispatched us are most likely leaving us to die. Didnt they employ a soul guiding technique on each of us before they sent us out? They said it was so that they can find us when were in danger, but theyre most likely just using us to scare him out of hiding! Then when we fall, they will use the soul guiding technique to track him down.

The middle-aged man felt his breath run cold and he spoke out in furious alarm, They would actually treat us like cannon fodder? How will we handle this?

It is quite simple, the woman said, Didnt we already look through the area? There is no need to go any further. Since we can report back to our superiors, there will be no further exposure to danger. If someone else has found the foreign cultivator, that will be fine. And it wont matter if no sighting of him was found either. Then when the Day of Spirit Release arrives, all Immortals will be heading to the temples to pay their respects. We will be summoned there as well.

After a moment of hesitation, he decisively said, From your words, you mean to say that while the Venomous Dragon Pill is valuable, I am more likely to lose my life in the process. Many thanks for the explanation, Immortal Xiu.

The woman smiled and said, Good! Since that has been resolved, lets go rest at the temple encampment for a bit. In the past few days, many tribes had brought forth their tributes. Perhaps, well be able to find something we need ahead of time. Then we can conduct another search periodically every few days as we look through the tributes.

Of course, the middle-aged man raised no objections.

Soon after, the red and white streaks of light flew directly south.

It had now been half a year since Han Li left the Drifting Cloud Sect.

After he left the Heavenly South, he directly entered the Moulan Plains and carefully concealed his cultivation and identity. At the start, it went smoothly and he assumed the identity as an unaffiliated cultivator, safely entering many Moulan Tribes and even exchanging cultivation experiences with a Soaring Tribes cultivator.

But after he crossed most of the plains and arrived in the south, wanton calamity struck down upon him. In a wasteland far from the Soaring Tribes, he had routinely released his Gold Devouring Beetles and was about to prepare his strongest batch of beetles for reproduction when a mid-Nascent Soul stage Soaring Tribes elder came across Han Li while he was chasing down a demon bird. The Soaring Tribes elder was also controlling a single fully mature Gold Devouring Beetle at the time 1.

Because the Rainbow Skirt Grass was so convenient to use and mature, Han Li had grown careless, as nothing happened to him in the past when he used it. Without any high grade concealment spell formations placed down, the Soaring Tribes elder saw Han Lis beetle swarm in plain sight.

When the Soaring Tribes elder saw the ten thousand Gold Devouring Beetles floating above Han Li, he nearly passed Han Li by in shock. He promptly ignored the demon bird and immediately demanded Han Li to follow him to see some kind of holy woman of theirs.

Han Li couldnt agree to such conditions and immediately set out to kill him. He promptly used several grand abilities along with his second Nascent Soul, resulting in the destruction of the cultivators physical body.

But Han Li then gloomily discovered that the Soaring Tribes elder cultivated a very strange technique. He was able to split his Nascent Soul into seven divisions, each of them skilled in evasion techniques. During a moment of carelessness, Han Li allowed one of them to escape.

It was then that Han Li realized that he stirred up the hornets nest. Not daring to linger for even a moment, he flew south throughout the night.

But by using some unknown method, Han Li suddenly found many Soaring Tribes Nascent Soul cultivators pursuing him several days later. Even one of the Soaring Tribes four late-Nascent Soul cultivators were present.

Han Li repeatedly fought several battles and slew several high-grade cultivators, but the late-Nascent Soul cultivator amongst them struck a heavy blow against Han Li while he was distracted. Were it not for the Myriad Year Spirit Milk and the Bloodshadow Evasion, he feared his life wouldve been forfeit.

Although he managed to temporarily evade pursuit through these measures, Han Li suddenly discovered something immensely troubling affecting his body. Perhaps as a result from the loss of strength and injuries from the constant battles, the baleful Qi on his body broke out and began to undergo backlash. Fortunately, he was able to see this ahead of time with his immense spiritual sense and used secret techniques to forcefully suppress it.

This made his bad situation even worse. Helpless, he could only ask Monarch Soul Divergence for guidance out of this perilous situation.

As an old eccentric that had lived over ten thousand years, Monarch Soul Divergence immediately gave Han Li the Pestilence Demons Soullock Seal to temporarily seal the baleful Qi. However, the consequences were immense. Before he could find a method to dissolve the baleful Qi, he would need to seal the demons of pestilence along with his baleful inside of his body. This would contain a majority of his baleful Qi at the cost of most of his cultivation. If he rashly made use of his magic power during this time, the baleful Qi and pestilence demons would backlash.

Han Li was fully aware of the consequences of this technique and hesitated in using it. But as he evaded pursuit, the baleful Qi in his body underwent backlash with far greater intensity than before. In a moment of desperation, he hastily landed in the shrubbery and without the time to even place down a protective spell formation, he employed the Pestilence Demons Soullock Seal with frantic need. fгeeebove.cm

When Ying Lu had arrived, Han Li was in the final stages of employing the technique. The youth Mu Teng parted the shrubbery just as Han Lis face wore the appearance of one of the five pestilence demons sealed inside of him. It was incredibly gruesome, giving the youth much cause for fright. The youth currently believed the ghost face to be Han Lis true appearance.

With that thought, Han Li couldnt help but wryly smile.

Although I am temporarily able to restrain the baleful Qi, a vast majority of my cultivation was sealed. It is fortunate that I am escorting these mortals to an Endless Sky Temple. Nothing should happen along the way. Han Li muttered.

Monarch Soul Divergence coldly chuckled and said, Although your cultivation is sealed and you arent able to use your ancient treasures and flying swords, you can still use your Gold Devouring Beetle and second Nascent Soul. However, you did give the Nascent Soul grade puppet you refined to your Senior Martial Brother Lu before you left and you also gave a majority of your Core Formation stage puppets to that concubine of yours. Those puppets would be rather useful right now.

Han Li indifferently said, I didnt know when Id be able to return to the Heavenly South, so I had left the puppets behind in case of contingencies. Even if Senior Martial Brother Cheng will soon perished, Lu Luo will have the Nascent Soul stage puppet to assist him. And Mu Peiling will be safe with the tortoise puppets Ive given her. Otherwise, I wouldve felt ill at ease heading towards the Great Jin.

In that case, dont complain about any dangers you encounter. Monarch Soul Divergence said with disapproval.

After a moment of silence, Han Lis expression stirred and he asked, Is there any way to temporarily dissolve the Pestilence Demon Soullock after it is placed? My Gold Devouring Beetles and second Nascent Soul shouldnt have any problem dealing with Core Formation opponents of course, but it will be dangerous if I run into an enemy at Nascent Soul stage. I dont know how long it will take before I can find a method to dissolve my baleful Qi.

Temporarily dissolve the seal? Monarch Soul Divergence paused for a moment before slowly replying, It might not be possible for others, but it could be possible with the many treasures in your possession. However, the cost will be steep.

What cost? So long as it doesnt affect my future cultivation, I will accept the cost. It will be better than losing my life at a desperate moment.

In that case, it will be quite simple. Each time you wish to dispel the seal, it will require two drops of the Myriad Year Spirit Milk. Ill give you another set of secret techniques to release the pestilence demons and temporarily allow the baleful Qi. According to present circumstances, your magic power will be restored for about two hours. After that time passes, the spirit milk will be completely devoured by the pestilence demons and your magic power will be sealed once more. And each time the seal is released, the baleful Qi will take over a portion of your soul. After a certain number of times, even the pestilence demons will not be able to restrain the baleful Qi backlash.

Although Myriad Year Spirit Milk is precious, it isnt as precious as my own life, but aggravating the baleful Qi backlash wont be good by any means. Will this cause any future problems after I dispel the baleful Qi?

There will certainly be problems after releasing the baleful Qi. Under your current circumstances, I reckon that you will only be able to lift the seal five of six times before the pestilence demons lose control. It is up to you to weigh what there is to gain and lose.

There isnt much to think about, Han Li said with decisiveness, I will only use it during matters of life and death. How about Senior pass the technique onto me?

I will only say the incantation once, so remember it properly! Monarch Soul Divergence then uttered the incantation for the technique. Han Li closed his eyes and committed the incantation to memory.

Han Li opened his eyes and calmly said, Alright, it appears this technique isnt very difficult. I should be able to use it after a few days of comprehension.

Of course. It is but a common method of removing seals. But Youngster Han, do you truly plan on following these mortals to the Endless Sky Temple? Monarch Soul Divergence curiously asked. Surely you would know that this event of theirs will attract many Soaring Tribes cultivators.

Has Senior heard of the proverb that the most dangerous areas are actually safest? If I wholeheartedly wished to conceal myself, I am confident that I would be able to stay hidden for some time, but with the baleful Qi winding around my body, I would need to urgently hurry to the Great Jin Empire. As for my pursuers, they would be looking everywhere for lone travellers such as myself. In that case, itd be better for me to mingle among the cultivators near the temple. Since there are many cultivators there, it would be impossible for my pursuers to look at them all. And given that Ive already lived several months in the Moulan Plains, I am confident Ill be able to disguise myself as a low-grade cultivator. In any case, the temple just happens to be in the direction of the Great Jin.

It seems I was just being meddlesome as you already have a plan. Monarch Soul Divergence chuckled and then said nothing else.

When Han Li heard this, he sighed and immediately asked, Silvermoon, how are you faring? In that last battle, you also sustained heavy injuries.

Many thanks for your concern, Silvermoon replied with a faint voice, Since I am an artifact spirit, wounds dont affect me much, but my fox suffered significant damage and cant be used to assist Master for a time.

Feeling relieved, Han Li gently replied, It will be no matter. In the future, I will act carefully, so there should be no need for you to take action. Take your time to recover.

Yes, Master. After strenuously forcing out an answer, Silvermoon spoke no more.

With a grimace, Han Li wryly chuckled in his mind.

Han Li quietly meditated for a moment more in the carriage before brushing his hand past the storage pouch, producing a foot-long jade box in his hand. Several white sparkling talismans were stuck onto the box as if sealing it.

Han Li then stroked the talismans on the jade box with his fingers with a wavering expression.

1 As previously stated in chapter 742, Gold Devouring Beetles were also nurtured and used by the Soaring Tribes.

Ah! In that instant, the youth Tu Meng parted away the grass and shouted in alarm before he quickly recoiled several steps back, falling on his back. He appeared thoroughly shocked.

Whats going on? The Grey Heron Tribe members were shocked by this sudden turn of events. There were even a few members that drew their blades in case.

Dont blindly take action. Tu Meng, what happened? Ying Lu still retained his calm. He saw that the youth was still uninjured and was only frightened.

Tribe Head, there is an Immortal there. He looks…

Before the youth could finish, the azure light suddenly disappeared from the shrubbery and he was interrupted by a cold snort. Then a silhouette walked out in strides and asked, Looks like what?

Ying Lu and the others hastily looked over in shock.

The man who appeared from the shrubbery was wearing white robes and had an ordinary stature. However, he was covering his head with a peculiar blue cloak that concealed his face. There were bulging pouches at his waist and he carried a foot-long wooden box on his back.

I pay my respects Immortal! I am the leader of the Grey Heron Tribe, Ying Lu. May I know your esteemed name? When Ying Lu saw him appear, he immediately dismounted from his horse and deeply bowed towards the white-robed man, not daring to offend him. His tribe members followed suit as well.

The white-robed man examined Ying Lus party before coldly replying, My surname is Han. The Grey Heron Tribe? Ive never heard of it before. I was cultivating inside the thicket. What have you come here for?

So it is Immortal Han. We truly had no idea you were cultivating here. We hope you will forgive us for any offense we may have caused. May we ask which tribe worships you, Sir? Perhaps I may be acquainted with that tribe. Ying Lu felt relieved when he heard that the Immortal didnt have the mind to attack them.

The white-robed mans eyes flickered and he indifferently said, Ive only recently finished my apprenticeship and I havent attached myself to a tribe. freewebnove.com

Ah! So Sir Immortal is unattached. Since you are here alone you must be going to the temple. It is the Day of Spirit Release, something that only happens once every twenty years. Surely Immortal Han wont be missing it. When Ying Lu heard that the Immortal was still unaffiliated, his tone became even more respectful.

Thats right, the white-robed man answered. He then looked at the carriages behind him and curiously asked, Are you heading to the temple to present tribute? I dont see any Immortals following you.

Our Grey Heron Tribe is small in size. Weve yet to hold an Immortal in our ranks. As such… Ying Lu respectfully explained his situation. He immediately determined that the Immortals words were true. Why else would he act so curiously? With that in his mind, Ying Lu suddenly felt a few lingering thoughts brought to the forefront of his mind.

Since you came across me unintentionally, I will forget this matter. Leave! After a moment of hesitation, the white-robed man waved his hand at them, indicating them to depart.

Ying Lu had originally feared this white-robed man, but now he resolved himself to have him stay. After taking a deep breath, he suddenly smiled and said, Sir Immortal, since you also wish to visit the temple, would you be interested in entering the hire of the Grey Heron Tribe? If you accompany us to the temple, we are willing to give twenty spirit stones to you.

Hire me? The white-robed man appeared surprised.

Thats right, Ying Lu replied with an honest expression, Since Sir Immortal is going to the temple regardless, he may as well come with us. With no Immortal guarding us, I fear that we wont be able to safely reach the temple. After all, there are far too many dangers on the road.

It would be too slow to travel with you mortals. And twenty spirit stones is… The white-robed man appeared hesitant.

Ying Lu bitterly smiled and said, So long as Sir Immortal agrees, I am willing to give twenty five spirit stones. Ill be honest. Our Grey Heron Tribe isnt large. This is the limit that we can offer you.

The white-robed man smiled in response. Twenty five spirit stones is a good amount, but dont you want to ask me of my rank before naming your price? Perhaps I am only at the third or second layer of Qi Condensation without the ability to protect you.

Ying Lu forced a chuckle and said, Sir Immortal is joking. Although I dont have any spirit roots, Ive gained much experience in my time in the holy war. The light you released isnt something that a third grade Qi Condensation Immortal could produce.

Without further consideration, the white-robed man said, Good! Since you are so sincere, I will journey with you. However, I will be taking half of the spirit stones first. Once we arrive, you can pay me the other half.

Of course, here are the spirit stones, Sir Immortal. Ying Lu was happy with his reply and patted his robes before taking out a small pouch. He then picked out a number of spirit stones and promptly handed them over to the white-robed man.

After the white-robed man took the spirit stones, they disappeared in a flash of light. This caused some of the youths to yelp in surprise.

What? Youve never seen a storage pouch before? The white-robed man asked in surprise.

Sir Immortal, these youths havent had much experience with Immortals. Ying Lu said with slight embarrassment.

So it was like that. The white-robed man nodded in understanding and then glanced at the carriages with some hesitation.

As Ying Lu had many dealings with Immortals in the past, he immediately shouted, Quickly prepare the best carriage for Immortal Han and allow him to meditate. Hurry!

When the youths heard their leader, they awoke from their daze and completely unloaded one of the carriages and put the cargo onto the other carriages.

Once the carriage was completely unloaded, the white-robed man faced Ying Lu and said, Thank you for your consideration. I will be resting on the carriage. Just call out to me if anything happens. And since Im already fasting, there is no need to disturb me during peacetime.

Of course, I will keep it in mind. Ying Lu bowed and widely smiled.

The white-robed man nodded and promptly approached the carriage in strides, but after taking several steps, he suddenly turned to the youth Tu Meng and coldly said, Did you see my face? I dont want rumors to spread, so you had best keep it to yourself. The white-robed man didnt say another word and then climbed on the carriage, closing the curtains and blocking everything from view.

Tu Mengs face turned deathly pale. Although the white-clothed man had already entered the carriage, the youth was still repeatedly shaking his head.

Ying Lu loudly shouted, Since weve acquired an Immortal, we may journey with ease. Everyone set off! He then turned to the young woman at his side and said, Ying Shan, follow the Immortals carriage. If he has any commands for you, follow them! Serve him well!

When the young woman heard this, she happily agreed, knowing what he meant.

As the other youths drove the carriages forward, they whispered to each other spiritedly. Although there had been Immortals that handled affairs on the tribes behalf, they immediately departed once they were finished. They didnt have the opportunity to see or speak with an Immortal. They were naturally curious.

Hidden inside the covered carriage, the white-robed man was sitting cross-legged without motion.

Youngster Han! It seems the technique you used on that Soaring Tribes member had scared him quite a bit. Perhaps he might have nightmares on this in the future, hehe… An aged voice filled with schadenfreude spoke from the back of the white-robed mans mind.

The white-robed man ignored his statement and asked, Is the Pestilence Demons Soullock Technique truly effective, Senior? I dont wish to become a monster that only knows slaughter before I find a method to dispel this baleful Qi.

Be at ease, the old voice lazily said, Although this secret technique was something I founded to dispel the backlash from the Great Development Technique, it is equally useful towards restraining baleful Qi. However, I must warn you that the pestilence demons possessing your body arent only restricting your baleful Qi, but they are restricting your cultivation as well. Your current cultivation is at most at the level of mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but you must remember not to rashly use your magic power by any means!

The white-robed man sullenly said, That goes without saying of course, but I didnt think the baleful Qi backlash would occurred far quicker than you had anticipated. And its violent nature was far worse than Ive heard.

The aged voice snorted and said, It wasnt that I guessed incorrectly, but that you had to fight with other cultivators before you managed to dispel your baleful Qi. You even heavily damaged your vitality to the point of near death. It is only natural for the baleful Qi to backlash. As for its violent nature, it is only to be expected from how deeply it has accumulated on your body. Were it not for the fact you are helping me refine my puppet body, I would be disinterested to help you!

Needless to say, these two were Han Li and Monarch Soul Divergence.

An caravan of about thirty men were travelling down wilderness with grassland as far as the eye could see. There were eight carriages among them accompanied by young leather-clothed horsemen with a few of them only reaching the ages of twelve, but they all were in high spirits regardless.

At the very front of the caravan was an old man riding a fine yellow horse. He had sharp creases in his brow and dark-red skin. He also wore a fire-red fox hide cap, gorgeous robes, and a tri-colored embroidered belt that symbolized his position as the master of the group.

They were travelling through the north of the Endless Sky Plains, on their way to pay tribute to a temple belonging to the Soaring Tribes.

The Endless Sky Plains were what the Soaring Tribes called the Moulan Plains. This was due to Soaring Tribes belief that their patron god, the Endless Sky Beast, had protected them for generations.

Originally, the Soaring Tribes occupied the southern portion of the Endless Sky Plains, but ever since their victory in the war against the Moulan thirty years ago, they occupied the entirety of the plains, and their strength massively surged, leaving them without match in the area.

Of course, given the huge size of the Soaring Tribes, they consisted of countless smaller tribe divisions. Smaller tribes consisted of a hundred thousand men with the largest tribes reaching around a hundred million men. Because there were many men who won merits in the last war, many new tribes had emerged with a majority of them being quite insignificant, only numbering tens of thousand of men.

The master of the escort was named Ying Lu. He was the leader of a small tribe that had split off from a larger one. Although they were considered a tribe, they only consisted of about eighty thousand men. When he was young, he was a formidable warrior and struck down several small Moulan Tribes in the war, capturing many of their nobles in the process and earning his current rank. However, he was unable to withstand the ravages of time. With the addition of the toil he put his body through over the years, he now appeared elderly despite only being fifty years old.

Ying Lu looked to the blazing sun in the sky, noticing that it was noon before turning to look at the young man behind him. He sighed.

Regardless of how small a tribe was, they had to regularly present tribute to the Immortals in case they came across calamities or demon beasts. However, newly formed small tribes like their own were unable to call upon Immortals. Even the lowest grade Immortals were unwilling to watch over tribes as small as theirs. After all, it was better for an Immortal to join more prosperous tribes, granting them more resources to further their cultivation.

However, there are a few small tribes that had low grade Immortals, but these Immortals had originated from these tribes or their aptitude was too poor to join larger tribes.

As for Ying Lus Grey Heron Tribe, they didnt have the opportunity to nurture an Immortal for themselves. Whenever something happened over the years, they could only hire the Immortals of neighboring tribes at great cost to assist them. Their price was extremely high and would only assist them a few times at the cost of the tribes revenue for half the year. As the tribe wasnt wealthy to begin with, this cost had put them in a hard situation.

Fortunately, twenty years had passed and the Day of Spirit Release has finally come for their tribe once more. Ying Lu handled this with care and didnt allow this opportunity to pass him. He promptly led several of the tribe disciples to the nearest Soaring Tribes Temple.

The Endless Sky Temples were originally established to honor their patron god, but after many years of development, they have become holy lands to the people of the Soaring Tribes, where low grade Immortals were fostered by the Soaring Tribes.

Every temple was managed by several high grade Immortals, responsible for imparting basic methods of cultivation. Once that was done, the lower aptitude cultivators were sent back to their tribes to receive their support there. As for the high aptitude cultivators, they were accepted as disciples by the high grade immortals and were personally nurtured. But before one could receive personal instruction from high grade Immortals, they must go through the Spirit Release Rites.

There were only about seventy Endless Sky Temples spread throughout the plains, but each of them were the heart of the regions they were located and had thousands of variously-sized tribes surrounding them.

Since there was only one temple in the region, the largest sects resided closest to it, and as a small sect, the Grey Heron Tribe resided in an area farther away. Their journey to the temple would take three months at the very least. Helpless, they could only depart four months ahead of time.

On the previous Day of Spirit Release, he had already established his tribe, but he wasnt able to gather enough tribute for the temple so he could only watch the opportunity pass him by. As a result, Ying Lu was unwilling to allow this chance to miss his tribe again. He even reduced the rations of the tribe and cut on other costs for the sake of this day so they could acquire an Immortal for their tribe. fгeewebnovl.com

However, they had to bring the tribute through wide expanses of grassland, an extremely dangerous task for mortals like them. After all, the tribute consisted of materials useful towards Immortals and even more precious towards mortals. If they werent careful, they could be robbed, even by an Immortal. This was a common occurance whenever a Day of Spirit Release approached.

It was better for the tribes closer to the temple as none dared to be too imprudent in its proximity, but it proved extremely dangerous for tribes farther away.

It was once said that the tribute from a mid-grade tribe, a thousand year medicine herb, was leaked and made known to many. As a result, a high grade Immortal from a larger sect plundered it. Of course, the Immortals of the temple were angered by this and dispatched an Immortal to investigate this matter, but it was unknown if anything came of it.

With such events having happened, Ying Lu been extremely worried ever since he left his tribe. Although he was carrying the tribute, he didnt have the protection of an Immortal.

As the Day of Spirit Release approached, Immortals from many tribes were occupied with matters from the temple. Even if one had spirit stones, the Immortals were too busy to accept. Occasionally, there would be wandering Immortals and the larger tribes nearby would rush to hire them at great cost. Weaker tribes couldnt hope to compete.

With that thought, Ying Lu sighed and glanced behind him again.

Four of the eight carriages carried tribute, all of them pulled by the most meticulously chosen steeds in the tribe. These carriages were also crafted from the hardy red birch wood. Of course, to make sure that they wouldnt catch any attention, the carriages exteriors were ragged and worn.

Even with these measures, they had encountered a small pack of feral wolves and nearly lost one of their members. In order to escape the wolves, they had to abandon the two slowest carriages. Although the two carriages didnt carry anything particularly costly, they did hold enough food for two months. It seemed that they would have no choice but to make a temporary stop in two days. There should be a nearby valley where men rarely tread, but there may be some wild bison or other game to hunt.

With that thought, Ying Lu stroked the hardwood bow that hung from his saddle.

Yi! What happened? A young woman at Ying Lus side yelped in alarm. The woman was fifteen years old and was named Ying Shan. She was a relative of Ying Lu and was one of the few people in the tribe who possessed spirit roots. It was only natural for him to dote on her.

Ying Lu hastily raised his head in alarm and saw waves of azure light in some dense shrubbery ahead of him.

Ying Lus heart trembled. As the leader of his tribe, he was naturally familiar with the light released from Immortal techniques. Could it be they wished to act against a group as destitute as his?

Ying Lus heart sank and he raised his hand, ordering the group behind him to stop. When the others saw the azure light ahead of them, they instantly grew cautious from alarm.

Ying Lu firmly grasped onto his horses reins and had it come to a stop. He then began to think of a plan to defend themselves.

But after a short moment, Ying Lu felt that there was something amiss. The azure light in the shrubbery continuously flickered but there were no Immortals or any techniques that emerged from it.

Ying Lus eyes brightened and he hastily examined the shrubbery. The dense shrubbery were about as tall as a person and couldnt be clearly seen through.

Ying Lus gaze wavered and he suddenly shouted, Tu Meng! Go over there and take a look to see whether or not there is an Immortal there.

Yes, Tribe Elder! A young man with a sturdy and formidable appearance descended from his horse and carefully approached the shrubbery that was sixty meters away from him. When the azure light was only twenty meters away, he hesitated and his feet came to a stop.

May I ask for the name of the Immortal here? We are the Grey Heron Tribe and we wish to pay our respects in front of your true appearance. The youth spoke with a clear tone of respect.

However, the light in the shrubbery continued to flicker and no response was given. Tu Meng couldnt help but to look at Ying Lu.

Ying Lu lowered his head in thought for a moment before silently nodding. The youth then gathered a bit of courage and walked forward with silent steps. When he arrived in front of the shrubbery, he gritted his teeth and parted the wild grass in front of him.

Four years after Han Li entered seclusion, Silvermoon was in her human form respectfully waiting outside the sealed seclusion room. On the day before, she received a voice transmission from Han Li while she was nurturing the spirit medicines with the green liquid, and she was now waiting on Han Li to emerge from the room.

She didnt have to wait for long. The stone door eventually began to groan and slowly open. However, when she raised her head and gazed inside, she didnt catch sight of Han Li. Instead, she saw a black Yin wind that suddenly blew out from the room. Then with a muffled chuckle, the three-meter-large black cloud made its way towards Silvermoon.

Silvermoon paled and took several steps back in her alarm as she looked at the black cloud in shock. Then the black cloud came to a sudden stop and softly shined with light as if made from black silk.

This is… Silvermoons mind began to stir.

The black cloud suddenly condensed into an inch-large, black-green Nascent Soul and it said, How is it? It should be considered a success for my second Nascent Soul to have reached this stage.

Congratulations on Masters achievement! Silvermoon sweetly smiled and curtseyed at the Nascent Soul. Apart from the Nascent Souls slightly smaller size, it appeared exactly the same as his original.

A familiar voice sounded out, It has come as a surprise that I was able to complete my second Nascent Soul so quickly. However, it does feel a bit strange now that its done. Han Li then walked out from the secluded room.

At that moment, the black-green Nascent Soul grinned before flying a circle around Han Li and landing on his head.

Silvermoon took a good look at Han Li and smiled, It is only natural to feel a bit odd after acquiring a second Nascent Soul. But with a bit of time, Master should become accustomed to it.

Oh! From your tone of voice, it seems you know something about having a second Nascent Soul. Did you remember something? Han Li curiously asked.

After a pause, Silvermoon answered, It isnt very clear to me. I dont know why I said it. Perhaps I knew about a similar technique in the past.

Han Li nodded when he heard her explanation and said nothing else. Then, the Nascent Soul sitting on his head summoned a small flag with a wave of its hand and began to play with it. It was the Ghost Sifting Banner that had absorbed the devilish Qi.

When Silvermoon saw this, she couldnt help but look at the Nascent Soul in surprise, asking,

Could it be that your second Nascent Soul cultivates a Devil Dao art?

It is only natural that the second Nascent Soul should cultivate something exceptional, but it cannot cultivate a new technique alone since it doesnt have its own body yet, so I am using my own body and the Ghost Sifting Banners devilish Qi to have it cultivate a few of the Profound Yin Art transformation techniques. As for whether or not I will grant it a body, Ive yet to decide, Han Li said with a frown, Once it has its own body, there is a possibility of backlash and betrayal. I must be careful about it. He then patted his head and in a flash of black light, the Nascent Soul entered his skull without a trace.

Han Lis spiritual sense allowed him to clearly see within him. Both his main and second Nascent Soul were sitting cross-legged across from one another in his Dantian and were meditating.

Silvermoon tilted her head and said, It is right for Master to be cautious. Ive never heard of the Profound Nascent Formation Arts before and other cultivation incarnation techniques are generally a division of attention. As for higher grade incarnation techniques such as the Moulan Divine Sage Zhongs 1, they are grand abilities that are employed through a forceful division of your primal soul.

Hehe! Their incarnation techniques dont make them stronger. They are only either for survival or producing superior numbers, but they can be considered formidable techniques regardless. Alright, enough of that for now. Did anything happen while I was in seclusion? Once that was said, he beckoned to Silvermoon and walked into the main hall.

Silvermoon closely followed after him with soft steps and said, A year after Master entered seclusion, Lady Mu succeeded in her Core Formation. As per your instructions, I gave the Copulation Essence Arts to her along with some medicine pills suitable for a Core Formation stage cultivator. As for Lady Nangong, she remains safe within the restricted area while the demon beast core is further weakening the Soul Seal Curse day by day. I reckon that even without the curses removal method, it should be dissolved in another hundred years. Of course, that is simply my own speculations. Master should go have a look for himself.

Han Li rejoiced after hearing the good news, but just as he was about to ask about other matters, Silvermoon added, There is also one other thing I must report to Master. The Six-winged Frost Centipedes have been continuously fed the Rainbow Skirt Grass over the years. They shouldve grown and laid eggs, but for some unknown reason, their growth had slowed to a standstill, having only molted once and showing no further signs of reproduction.

Molted? When Han Li heard this, he stopped walking and revealed an odd expression.

Silvermoon bit her lip and slowed her steps. Thats right. After they molted, they became far more powerful. Additionally, they became irritable as if they were about to molt once more.

Let me take a look at them. Han Li frowned and then changed direction, walking towards the passage that led to the insect rooms.

A short moment later, Han Li had arrived. He walked towards one of the insect rooms and looked inside. Before he could clearly see the centipedes, he felt a gust of glacial Qi that blew past him.

All he saw was a thick layer of sparkling ice covering the entire insect room. There were also several various sized mounds of ice with thick holes dug into them. Half-feet-long snow-white streaks were currently roaming around them.

Having already imprinted Han Li as their master with his blood, they immediately recognized him when he appeared. They grew restless and immediately pounced in Han Lis direction, grabbing onto the walls closest to him.

With a wave of his hand, Han Li opened the restriction to the room with a mental command. Several inch-large masses of white light floated towards him.

He nimbly grabbed one of them with his hand and brought it to his face. It was a larva with a skin completely snow-white. Apart from the two small protrusions from its back, it appeared exactly the same as when he last saw them.

Han Li looked at the larva in his hand and muttered to himself for a moment. Silvermoon stood at his side in silence.

At that moment, Han Li extended his finger and brought it to the larvas mouth. With a crackle, blue flame appeared on his fingertip.

The centipede larva opened its mouth and spat out a thin thread of glacial Qi towards the blue flame. Suddenly, the blue flame surged several time its size before being completely wrapped by the Qi.

Han Li then slowly closed his eyes as if attempting to sense something.

It seems your words held true. They have become far more powerful after they molted. There isnt much difference between reproduction by cannibalism and continuous molting. Han Li opened his eyes and then vanished the blue flame with a flick of his finger.

It doesnt come as a great surprise why they arent continuing to devour one another, Han Li continued, These ancient insects are all fantastical oddities. Perhaps they are only able to reproduce several times, or if the Rainbow Skirt Grass simply causes changes in their body. In any case, it is no problem as long as we can further mature them with the green liquid.

Masters words come as a relief. Silvermoon sighed and then sweetly smiled, displaying a bewitching charm.

Han Li ignored this and instead made his way to the main hall as he sullenly said, During my seclusion, Ive become well rested. Lets make the trip to the Great Jin Empire. Whether it be to dispel the baleful Qi present on my body or find rare materials, the journey is absolutely necessary. And regardless of how effective the Ancient Flame Toads demon core is at dissolving the Soul Seal Curse, I am still worried of something unexpected happening to Waner. It is best that I pay a visit to the Yin Sifting Sect and find the incantation to dissolve the curse. Ive also already cultivated a second Nascent Soul to brave any dangers that I may find in the Great Jin.

So it was like that. But with Masters abilities, there should be seldom few cultivators capable to matching him. Silvermoon said with a smile.

Hehe, there are many miraculous and fantastical treasures in the cultivation world. There is nothing that is certain. Also, I am already at odds with the Devil Dao cultivators of the Yin Sifting Sects. If they discover that Ive arrived, there is be certain to be trouble, it is better to tread on the side of caution. Im going to first take a look at how Waner is doing before going to see Senior Martial Brother Cheng. Then I will see if I can gather any more of the missing materials for the puppets and Sevenflame Fan. If everything goes smoothly, we can set a departure date after half a month.

Yes, Master! I also wish to see what the Great Jin is like as its renown to be the holy land of cultivators.

Once that was said, the room became quiet once more.

…

Half a month later, an azure streak shot out from the Dreamcloud Mountains and flew south. Not long after, a few well-informed cultivators received information that the Drifting Cloud Sects renown Elder Han had left the Dreamcloud Mountains to go on a distant journey. The specifics were unknown. It was possible he was roaming the Heavenly South or had left it entirely.

After the news was spread around, the Heavenly South grew restless before growing calm once more. Han Lis departure hadnt been followed by any further events.

The Dreamcloud Mountains Ancient Sword Sect and Hundred Possibilities Pavilion still treated the Drifting Cloud Sect sincerely and didnt make any moves against them, allowing them to hold the position as the top sect in the State of Xi.

As years slowly passed by, cultivators passed away from reaching the end of their lifespan and new characters emerged from the gaps left behind. The cycle of the Heavenly South cultivators began one more.

As for Han Li, any trace of him had disappeared from the Heavenly South. For over a hundred years, there had been no word of him.

1 One of the Moulans Late-Nascent Soul Cultivators. First seen in Chapter 746, he is capable of creating clones of himself.